Episode 212 (24th December 1962)
Plot It's Christmas Eve: Emily is a bag of nerves as she enters the Mission Hall to tune her sore throat and practice her lines. Ena agrees to play the piano before the play for Swindley as a seasonal favour. The residents try to make mend with Jed's costumes, although Minnie doesn't go down too well as a gaiety girl. Elsie, Linda and Ivan aren't keen on seeing the play. Christine hires her own period dress. Concepta offers Lucille's babysitting services for the Cheveskis so they can see the play and they can't refuse in front of Christine. Emily starts to panic as curtain-up nears. Nugent Hunt sends a telegram of luck to the cast. Jed invites a group of his friends to the play. A record of sound effects that Jed provides proves unsuitable. Harry and Concepta agree to go for a night on the town with Len after the play. Ena opens with Land of Hope and Glory wearing a golden hairnet for the occasion. Valerie is hassled by the cast about her make-up. Emily's stage fright gets worse. The curtain gets stuck so Ena leads everyone in sing-songs as they wait until they're fixed. Jed prompts and Albert gets stuck in the French window as he tries to exit the stage. The audience find the sight of their neighbours in costume, the stilted acting and the hackneyed dialogue funnier than it was intended to be. Emily forgets her lines and her tiara falls off, prompting hilarity. She grows hysterical and in the interval is plied with tranquillisers and whisky. The second half goes somewhat better and the applause at the end is genuine but the audience runs out as Swindley tries to make a speech. After they have gone, a drugged-up Emily faints into his arms. Cast of Lady Lawson Loses Mrs Gilda Montefiore (aka Lady Lawson) - Emily Nugent Duchess of Bannock - Annie Walker Gerald, Duke of Bannock - Kenneth Barlow Lady Priscilla Dauntsey - Christine Appleby Hon. Reggie Fitzgerald - Harry Hewitt Manders - Albert Tatlock Duke of Selina - Frank Barlow Lady Rhona Philbeach - Minnie Caldwell Mrs Savage - Concepta Hewitt Nellie, the maid - Florrie Lindley Cast Regular cast *Annie Walker - Doris Speed *Albert Tatlock - Jack Howarth *Frank Barlow - Frank Pemberton *Ena Sharples - Violet Carson *Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant *Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol *Concepta Hewitt - Doreen Keogh *Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis *Valerie Barlow - Anne Reid *Kenneth Barlow - William Roache *Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix *Florrie Lindley - Betty Alberge *Leonard Swindley - Arthur Lowe *Miss Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire *Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson *Linda Cheveski - Anne Cunningham *Ivan Cheveski - Ernst Walder *Christine Appleby - Christine Hargreaves *Jed Stone - Kenneth Cope *Jerry Booth - Graham Haberfield Guest cast None Places *7 Coronation Street - Back room *11 Coronation Street - Back room *Glad Tidings Mission Hall - Main hall and side room Notes *From Episode 172 (6th August 1962) to Episode 459 (5th May 1965) the programme featured a standardised cast list for the regular characters. This means that in this episode the following were credited but did not appear: Jack Walker (Arthur Leslie), Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss), Doreen Lostock (Angela Crow) and Sheila Birtles (Eileen Mayers). The photocaption of Ordsall over which these are run is a reversed one to the usual. *Kathy Staff makes a pre-Vera Hopkins appearance as an unnamed member of the audience at the Glad Tidings Mission Hall as does Beatrice Neild who appeared in the irregular role of Mrs Toft from 1969 to 1974. *''TV Times'' synopsis: Christmas Eve - and Lady Lawson Loses *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 7,134,000 homes (1st place). *This episode was included in the Network DVD collection Coronation Street: The Best of 1960-1969, released on 31st July 2006. Category:1962 episodes Episode 0212